


Introductions

by therealaelora



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Ficlet, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-13
Updated: 2013-08-13
Packaged: 2017-12-23 07:51:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/923787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/therealaelora/pseuds/therealaelora
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>au in which john winchester is magically still around and not a dick</p><p>~</p><p>Dean decides to introduce Cas to his dad. Things happen, and John isn't a complete asshole about it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Introductions

**Author's Note:**

> sorry I didn't edit this or anything before posting. this ficlet was inspired by this post on tumblr 
> 
> http://i-just-rode-up-on-a-unicorn-and.tumblr.com/post/37361068194

"Dad, this is Cas."

John Winchester sighed in irritation. "I'm not working with other hunters, Dean." He wrote something down in his journal, not looking up. "I thought we covered this."

"No, he's not a hunter, dad..." Dean let loose one of his famous smirks that he reserved for when he was about to drop a bombshell. "He's an angel."

Cas leaned forward from behind Dean, fixing John with a confused, but respectful look. "Pleased to meet you, Mr. Winchester."

There was a long silence from the old hunter as he stopped writing. Finally he turned around in his chair, throwing his arm around the back of it and giving Dean a frustrated look. "Well, I knew you were gay, but that's no way to introduce your boyfriend."

Sam stifled a snort of laughter from his perch on a stool, watching Dean's face fall as he backpedaled.

"What?! No. Dad. He's literally an angel. From heaven?" He pointed up, as if to add emphasis. "You know, like where God lives?"

Cas poked his head up again, using his serious voice to clarify. "Although, to be clear, my Father does not reside in Heaven at this moment, as no one can actually locate him."

"Uh-uh." John said, still in disbelief. He looked at Dean. "You can stop with the act. It's funny, he seems nice, glad you're settling down, but we got a job to do, so if you can just tell your boyfriend to-"

Dean could barely voice his protests over Sam's burst of laughter, shouting for Sam to shut up and dad no what are you thinking and Cas just stared at John determinedly, furrowing his brow as he repeated that he was, in fact, an angel of the Lord and would be more than happy to-

"Alright, alright, enough. Sam, calm down," John finally said loudly over the noise, and Sam gasped to a stop, wiping his eyes.

"Sorry, i-it's just-they're so cute-"

"Damn it, Sam!" Dean snapped as Sam relapsed into chuckles. "We're not cute together!"

Cas looked over at Dean. "I was not aware that we were in a romantic relationship, Dean-"

"We're not!" Dean groaned, covering his face, which could not have gotten any redder as he shoved away the fleeting notion that he wouldn't exactly mind if they were. "Dad, Cas is literally an angel from Heaven, we are not together, and he can help us with this case. Damn it, Sam, stop laughing!"

John was quiet as he looked his sons and Cas over, who looked a little dejected, before shrugging and turning back to his work. "Wouldn't care if he was, but okay, he's gotta prove he's not a demon or shape-shifter or anything, even though I still can't believe angels are real...you sure you checked the records for everything first?"

Dean rolled his eyes. "Yeah, dad, I'm not eight."

"I couldn't tell, by the way you were blushing like an eight year old girl." John retorted.

Dean scowled and turned to Cas, grumbling about his dignity or something. "Cas, you know the drill."

Nodding, Cas took the flask of holy water that Sam was holding out to him and poured it on his arm before handing it back and accepting a silver knife from Dean. He cut himself with it and handed it back, looking back to John, who watched the procedure warily.

"Are you satisfied, sir?" Cas asked in his monotonous voice.

"Well, I still don't believe you're an angel. Unless Dean really did mean it as a term of endearment."

Before Dean could argue, Cas flapped away, leaving behind the rustling of wings and an empty space at Dean's side. John looked shocked for a second, and in that time Cas reappeared, on Dean's opposite side. "No, sir, Dean did not intend it as a term of endearment." Dean almost could have sworn there was a hint of bitterness in his voice.

John had recovered, and just tossed a book to Sam and one to Dean. "Who am I to say no to divine intervention? Just no touchy-feely between you and Dean, this is a workplace, not a hotel."

"Technically, this is a hotel, dad." Sam corrected innocently, and Dean leaned over to whack him with the book he'd just been handled.

"Can it, Sammy."

~

Hours passed, and the Winchesters were still reading for clues while Cas flitted off here and there to check for more records or evidence. It was a slow process, seeing as even Cas was a little stumped with how to beat this thing. At some point, Dean and Sam dress up like agents and head out to investigate a hospital to see if they missed anything, which wasn't likely. Cas stayed behind with John. John worked as Cas stood in the same place he had been, clearly deep in thought.

Finally John sighed and slammed a book shut, turning to Cas. "So. Cas, was it?"

Cas turned to John. "Yes, sir."

"You don't have to call me 'sir', John is fine."

"Very well." Cas said, although the formality that was ever so normal in his voice didn't leave.

John studied the man, er, angel, in front of him. "So. You and Dean go back, do you?"

Cas nodded. "Yes. I was the one who gripped him tight and raised him from perdition."

"I see." John was quiet again before speaking. "So. You and Dean aren't...?" When Cas didn't offer any indication that he knew what John was trying to say, he sighed and added, "You know, together? Dating?"

Cas's expression changed, and although his voice stayed the same, the way he spoke was as if there was a bad taste on his tongue. "No. We are not."

Now, yeah, John wouldn't be the first one to go ranting about how his son was gay and how proud he was or whatever, and he may not be the most affectionate father, but he did care about his son, so he did something he would have never thought he'd do in a million years.

He gave an angel of the Lord guy advice.

"Look, Cas," John said gruffly. "Dean's the kinda guy that isn't gonna go after a good thing because he doesn't think he deserves it, that's why you gotta do it."

Cas fixed John with a stare so sad that John felt it trickle into him for a moment. "Why does he hold so little worth to himself?"

It suddenly occurred to John all of what Cas had said and what that implied. Sam had filled John in about Dean's service downstairs when he'd come back, and if Cas had literally pulled him out of hell...then that meant that Cas had seen Dean's soul...

"You already know everything I'm trying to say, don't you?" John asked.

Cas made no gesture, but his eyes were soft. "I have seen his soul, John Winchester. I know how much he is worth, but he does not. It is frustrating."

"Then make him understand." John said, getting frustrated himself. "It's not that hard. Just tell him."

"But-"

The door to the hotel swung open, and in walked what John and Cas thought was the happiest man in the world.

"The restaurant had pie!" He practically screamed, holding up a box of apple pie in triumph. "Real, honest-to-God pie!"

As Dean and Sam began setting food down on the table, explaining how they hadn't found anything at the hospital, oh except you know that Sammy boy here had failed to mention that there had been a nurse on duty at the time of the attack and oh shut up Dean don't act like you knew about it either and what you didn't know? and various comebacks and retorts, and John just tried to gather as much helpful information from the bickering as he could and Cas looked deep in thought again before a look of hard determination set on his face and he walked over to stand in front of Dean.

"Woah, Cas, we talked about this, personal space-"

"I'm the one who gripped you tight and raised you from perdition, Dean." Cas began.

Dean rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I know, you told me that one before. Look, you don't have to brag, I brought you some burgers-"

"Dean," Cas repeated, and the tone of his voice made Dean turn back to face Cas and pay attention. "I'm the one who gripped you tight and raised you from perdition. I have seen your soul in the blackest possible place known to demons, angels, and humans alike. I have seen you at your lowest possible point, a point you thought you would never return from."

Dean looked like he couldn't decide between getting angry and just walking away "I-"

He stopped as Cas walked closer, til their faces were inches apart. "I have seen your soul, Dean Winchester. And it is beautiful."

Sam's jaw dropped, and Dean's eyes went wide. "W-what? Cas, what are you-?"

"You think and see so little of yourself, and yet I have seen your soul and I can still see it now, and it is not nothing, it is something, and it is beautiful." He paused, and it felt like the entire room was holding its breath. "I want to make you understand, to see yourself as I see you."

Dean was still clearly in shock. His face was red and he kept trying to speak, but all he could do was stammer for a few minutes until John groaned loudly and said "For God's sake, Dean, do you like the angel or not?"

Dean looked to his father in alarm. He had always known, or thought, that John would never accept a gay son, and felt as though he had already disappointed his father so much that he would never openly admit it to anyone. He swallowed and, even though he was awash in embarrassment that this was happening in front of his entire family-besides Bobby, who would probably hear about it within five minutes anyway-he nodded and said, "Yes, sir."

John threw his arm up in the air. "Well, then ask him out for crying out loud! We got a job to do and I can't do it with you two secretly wondering if there's something going on! He likes you, you like him, so make it official and let's go gank this thing!"

Sam was smiling now, but not in a mocking way. More as if the entire world had just erupted into sunshine and sprinkles.

Dean turned to Cas, who was just standing there patiently, although albeit a little nervously. Dean didn't even know angels could get nervous. Or like humans, for that matter. He obviously had a lot to learn. "Cas, you know I'm no good at this whole, talking-feelings thing. But, you know, I feel like a better person with you, and that's a hard thing to feel for me, and I just want to make you feel the same. So, uh," he paused, and then he finally got the Dean look back in his face and said, "Fuck it, do you wanna actually do this-" he gestured between the two of them. "-or not?"

Cas let out a breath and smiled. "Yes, Dean, I would like to actually do 'this'." He mimicked Dean's gesture, and Dean smiled. He then turned to Sam with a smirk and said, "Guess who's dating an angel?"

Sam rolled his eyes. "Oh, like you planned the whole thing? Yeah, not impressed." He turned to Cas. "Congrats, though, man. You two are good together."

John clapped his hands together. "Alright, no more soap opera going on. Let's get to work, we can go celebrate the new couple once this thing stops killing people."

Even though John would never admit to his sons, he was proud of Dean and glad he had pushed Cas to act, because even though he could be tough on Dean, all he ever wanted was for him to be as happy as you can be when you're a hunter, and if an angel named Cas did that, then who the hell cared anyway?


End file.
